ASERL-Selectives Mailing List: We Got Trouble? Not So Much

[Romans, Larry (larry.romans]

Bill,

I think we both want to see the ASERL Centers of Excellence program thrive. 
However, I think we differ in how ASERL should respond to GPO's challenges.

In Robin Haun-Mohamed's September 23rd letter, she outlines ten discussion 
areas on which ASERL and GPO must come to an agreement.  It seems to me to be 
much more productive to deal with those concerns directly with GPO rather than 
to stand firm.

I also think that there is much disagreement on the approval by the previous 
Superintendent of Documents, who seemed to be agreeable with proposals 
informally, but did not follow-up with specifics or official approval. Does 
ASERL have written approval from GPO that the current GPO folks are reneging 
on? Regardless of the existence or non-existence of a previous agreement, I 
agree with you that direct conversations should be held in an environment of 
open dialog and transparency.

Having ASERL request comments is not the same as working directly with GPO to 
smooth out rough spots. ASERL had the burden of keeping GPO informed at every 
step. Was there a formal way that developments were presented to GPO?

I think that GPO's not sharing the results of the survey is not an act of good 
faith. I also think that GPO may be becoming less flexible when it needs to be 
more flexible in responding to changes for regionals facing difficult times. 
However, I think that with little compromise from the current ASERL proposal 
and fleshing out of other parts of the proposal, ASERL should be able to make 
the Centers of Excellence program very successful within current GPO 
regulations.

Would you please share this with the other groups that you sent your message to?

Larry

Larry Romans, 
Vanderbilt University Libraries, 
Nashville, TN 37203-2427
larry.romans [at] vanderbilt.edu
(615) 322-2838


-----Original Message-----
From: SUDDUTH III, BILL [mailto:SUDDUTHW [at] mailbox.sc.edu] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 2:36 PM
To: Romans, Larry
Cc: aserl-selectives [at] aserl.org; aserl-gov-docs-steer-cmte [at] aserl.org; 
aserl-regionals [at] lists.aserl.org
Subject: RE: [aserl-selectives] FW: We Got Trouble

Larry,

Thank you for commenting on the online petition.  I also want to thank you 
again for the letter of support you submitted for the ASERL IMLS grant that is 
now in its third year. 

 I will not be answering each of your questions because as you yourself noted 
all of the earlier objections have been addressed by ASERL and reviewed by the 
Superintendent of Documents.

I want to reiterate that throughout this process the ASERL participants have 
provided an open and transparent process to its project and discussions.  

At every turn, ASERL has invited comments and when necessary has made 
corrections in language or taken the effort to explain how our processes 
conform to U.S.C. Title 44.

While ASERL has presented a transparent process the current Superintendent of 
Documents appears unwilling to openly address any issues or concerns with the 
project.  
During the spring of 2011, GPO conducted a survey of ASERL participants that on 
its face appeared to be an open search for problems and not results of the 
project.  
However, ASERL eagerly anticipated the results in order to clarify any 
misconceptions or address any issues that the community might have expressed.  
Unfortunately, the Superintendent of Documents was unwilling to share the 
results of the survey with ASERL which resulted in the letter of July 20 from 
Robin Haun-Mohamed. 
ASERL's response was to once again ask for the survey results so that specific 
issues could be addressed.  Ms. Haun-Mohammed's letter of August 25th again 
rejected any desire to share the survey results to the very group GPO appears 
to be studying.  
Again, ASERL is only interested in the comments and not who made them; however, 
ASERL cannot respond to information that is not available to them.

Again, the ASERL program was reviewed and approved by the Superintendent of 
Documents in 2010.  Any new interpretation of ASERL's program should be held in 
an environment of open dialog and transparency.  I agree with you that the 
ASERL model provides an opportunity for the program to continue providing the 
American public access to its government information and preserve that 
information for future generations.  ASERL libraries have created a partnership 
that is bringing the community together in a time of transition and economic 
uncertainty.

Bill Sudduth
University of South Carolina

-----Original Message-----
From: Romans, Larry [mailto:larry.romans [at] Vanderbilt.Edu]
Sent: Monday, October 03, 2011 1:57 PM
To: SUDDUTH III, BILL
Cc: Romans, Larry; Mary Freilich; aserl-selectives [at] aserl.org
Subject: Re: [aserl-selectives] FW: We Got Trouble

John,

I am very concerned about your response to the August 25 and September 23 
letters from Robin Haun-Mohamed from the Government Printing Office (GPO). The 
changes requested and the offer to have GPO staffers consult with you seem to 
me to be reasonable and to have minimum effect on the Centers of Excellence 
program. This is an odd time to draw a line in the sand.

I am particularly concerned about the online petition. Dueling between the GPO 
survey and the ASERL petition doesn't seem likely to lead to positive results.

The original ASERL government information initiative was widely seen as an 
attempt to circumvent the regional library program - to such an extent, that 
ASERL emphasized in its second iteration that the initiative was a supplement 
to, rather than a substitute for, the regional library system. Thus, it's not 
surprising that GPO would have a rather jaundiced view of any ASERL statements 
that conflict with the current regional library program.

Ms. Haun-Mohamed (Sept. 23, p.2) stated that "All policies and procedures 
should affirm that Centers of Excellence do not trump regionals and selectives 
in comprehensive collection development." This is no more than what the second 
iteration of the ASERL proposal promised when it asked everyone to consider 
this proposal a supplement to the regional depository system. This affirmation 
is also not likely to have a major practical barrier to developing the Centers 
of Excellence.

Moreover, the requests by GPO for details of how the copies will be acquired 
and managed should already be in place.  If they're not, the time to develop 
those procedures is now. Distinguishing the differences in treating tangible 
and digital copies should be part of these procedures.

I'm sure that you realize that statutes provide only the broad outline for a 
government agency and its programs. The agency's regulations have the force of 
law. Stating that requests for modification are not supported specifically by 
the statute that governs the Federal Library Depository Program (FDLP) is 
rather disingenuous.

I have not been part of the communication between ASERL and GPO, so I don't 
know how much face-to-face discussion has already occurred and how fruitful or 
frustrating that discussion has been. However, I think that GPO's offer of 
ASERL working directly with GPO staffers is one that ASERL should take 
advantage of.

I think that ASERL should work within the current FDLP. Our depositories must 
work within GPO regulations. Refusing to negotiate with GPO about how to solve 
these problems not only affects ASERL, it puts all depository heads in an 
untenable position.

Economic realities may well convince GPO and others that the current depository 
system must be modified. At that time the ASERL Centers of Excellence will be a 
working model for collection development and management for the rest of the 
country.

Larry

Larry Romans,
Vanderbilt University Libraries,
Nashville, TN 37203-2427
larry.romans [at] vanderbilt.edu
(615) 322-2838

-----Original Message-----
From: John Burger [mailto:jburger [at] aserl.org]
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2011 1:15 PM
To: Romans, Larry
Cc: aserl-selectives [at] aserl.org
Subject: [aserl-selectives] FW: We Got Trouble

> ASERL Friends:
> 
> You will recall that there was some concern earlier this year when GPO 
> posted a national survey seeking "feedback' about ASERL's plan for 
> managing FDLP collections in the Southeast.  That concern was well founded:  
> In two recent letters, GPO has informed us that our plan is out of compliance 
> with FDLP regulations, and demanded that we modify our plan no later than 
> October 31st.  (The letters are available online at http://bit.ly/oKc636.)  
> This flies in the face of their previous review/approval of the ASERL plan, 
> and the specific requests for modifications are not supported by the statute 
> that governs the FDL Program. Such a mess!
> 
> At this time we are not conceding on any of the points raised by GPO.  
> In response, we are drafting three items:
> 
> 1)       An online petition - available now at http://svy.mk/n3hdgo -- to
> document support for this program, from library deans/directors, documents 
> librarians, and others.  We ask that you consider signing this petition at 
> your earliest convenience, and include a comment that describes why you feel 
> the ASERL Plan is important to the future of FDLP collection management.
> 
> 2)      Talking points for CFDP Steering Committee Members to use during 
> conversations at the upcoming Depository Library Conference.  They will be 
> posted for your information once they are complete.
> 
> 3)      A letter from ASERL to GPO leadership countering the claims made in 
> their most recent letter. 
> 
> We'll consider further actions as deemed appropriate by the Deans FDLP 
> Steering Committee and ASERL Board of Directors.
> 
> --jeb
> 
> John Burger, Executive Director
> Association of Southeastern Research Libraries
> 
> 
> ASERL has moved! As of July 1, our address is:
>   ASERL
>   Box 90182 / 411 Chapel Drive
>   226A Bostock Library
>   Durham, NC 27708
>   919-681-2531 - telephone
>   919-681-0805 -- fax
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